Sleep Deprivation

Let’s talk about Sleep Deprivation… there is a reason it has historically been a method used for psychological torture as prolonged deprivation can have a wide range of negative health effects, especially on mental capacity. While the terms we use to refer to the deprivation may differ, “sleep regulation”, “sleep disturbance”, “sleep adjustment”, “insomnia”, “night wakings”, the impact to the individual who is struggling is all the same.

During a visit, sleep quality is one of the most important symptoms we will discuss because we know deprivation can affect an individual’s daytime energy level, cognitive function, mood stability, immune function, appetite and more. The longer the deprivation continues, the worse the health effects can be, often contributing to long-term health complications including diabetes and heart disease.

Depending on the season in your life, you may need more or less quality hours of sleep in a 24-hour period of time to feel rested but the average adult should be aiming for 7 hours. These hours can vary based on an individual’s daily activity, immune function and work or shift schedule.  The majority of clients I work with are suffering from some sort of sleep deprivation whether they are struggling to fall asleep, waking up multiple times through the night or waking up earlier then they would like to.

Pregnancy can impact restful sleep related to hormonal changes, the need to wake in the middle of the night to use the bathroom or finding it hard to get in a comfortable position.  Postpartum parents often are sleep deprived related to a frequently waking newborn and some suffer from postpartum anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder which can make falling asleep (even when the baby is sleeping) more challenging.  Individuals who are transitioning through perimenopause or hormonal treatments may also suffer related to increased anxiety symptoms that keep the mind awake, thermoregulation changes (i.e. hot flashes) and/or pain.

As a midwife for 11 years, my body often needed more sleep and rest the first few days after being awake through the night during a labor and birth. Over time, I learned what helped my body to recover in a healthy way but this took practice, some trial and error and implementing healthy sleep hygiene practices.

Whether you are struggling with acute or chronic sleep deprivation there are many options for improving your sleep including cognitive behavioral therapy insomnia (CBTi), various supplements, hypnotic medications, sleep devices/products and behavioral changes. In some cases, meeting with a sleep specialist and completing a sleep study may also be indicated.  No matter what the root cause for the sleep deprivation, consider making some changes to your sleep routine and see how this can have a positive impact on your overall mental health and well-being. Read more about sleep health topics from the National Sleep Foundation here. Additionally, you can read this article from the Sleep Foundation about behavioral changes that you can start implementing today to improve your overall sleep quality. Sweet dreams!

References:

Bandyopadhyay, A., & Sigua, N. L. (2019). What is sleep deprivation? American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199(6), P11–P12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30874458/

Consensus Conference Panel. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 11(6), 591–592. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25979105/

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (n.d.). Sleep deprivation and deficiency. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2021, March 17). The impact of poor sleep on type 2 diabetes. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/professionals/diabetes-discoveries-practice/the-impact-of-poor-sleep-on-type-2-diabetes